


You're Just Like Your Father

by Gosh_Mr_Big_Brain



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Because I feel like that needs to be mentioned, Did I mention Rhodey is the best?, Gen, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, Howard Stark's Bad Parenting, Not Steve Friendly, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Has Issues, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony Stark-centric, Tony isn't doing so well, someone please help him
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-14
Updated: 2017-08-14
Packaged: 2018-12-14 19:03:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11789472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gosh_Mr_Big_Brain/pseuds/Gosh_Mr_Big_Brain
Summary: Six months after the events of Civil War, the Avengers are back in Tony's life and he isn't doing so well. It was only a matter of time before something happened.





	You're Just Like Your Father

**Author's Note:**

> First off, I did have this posted in a collection I had earlier on my account but deleted due to entirely stupid reasons that you don't need to know. I did edit it and make it about 1000 words longer than before so hopefully this isn't a complete waste. Either way, I hope you enjoy!

    

__      Tony knew he should’ve have just stayed down in his workshop. He had about a million different projects to work on and despite this being, you know,  _ his  _ home, he never did feel that welcomed when he ventured upstairs into the common areas where the other Avenger’s typically dwelled during the day. But he had run out of his stash of coffee in the ‘shop and he’d be damned if he didn’t get his much needed caffeine. Who cares if he had to deal with Barton and Wilson’s condescending glares or Wanda’s barely concealed smirks? Tony wasn’t going to let those idiots intimidate him from retrieving his favourite drink. Although, now that he was up there, he was really regretting his decision. Surprisingly, it wasn’t Barton or Wilson or even Wanda that was bothering him at the moment. It was team-leader-of-the-year, Steve Rogers. 

    Tony wasn’t really sure how it started. He was just brewing himself a pot of coffee (After noting how this supply was seriously depleted even though he hadn’t used any of it since the Avenger’s first returned from being fugitives), thanking God that everyone seemed to be lurking somewhere else in the tower at the moment. In retrospect, perhaps he should’ve taken that as a warning. The calm before the storm. Because he had no sooner as poured his cup and clutched it in his hands, ready to make a run for the elevators when the Star Spangled Man With A Plan walked into the kitchen. 

    Steve stepped into the room, stopping abruptly as he caught sight of Tony. He observed the other man for a moment, a distant glimmer of  interest darkening his blue eyes, before continuing on his merry way. He crossed the kitchen, his steps slower than usual, beelining straight for the fridge. 

    “Rogers,” Tony greeted curtly, doing his best to sound polite. He figured playing nice would be a lot easier than starting a fight. 

    “Stark,” Steve responding, dipping his chin ever-so-slightly. He opened the fridge door, still watching Tony with his icy gaze and his body language just screaming intimidation.  _ Good God,  _ Tony thought, watching Steve out of the corner of his eye,  _ does he think I’m going to try and attack him in the middle of the kitchen?  _ He grabbed a bottle of water before closing the door with a bit more force than necessary. “Finally coming out of your workshop, huh?”

    Tony tilted his head in surprise. So he was actually trying to make small talk? That didn’t bode well.  He let his gaze flicker to the elevators again before returning to Steve. He hadn’t been alone with him since… God, since just after the dream team (Him, Barnes and Wilson) were first captured. How long ago ago was that?  _ Six months,  _ a little voice in his head whispered. It seemed like a lifetime ago. Tony still trusted Steve back then. Trusted that they could work whatever this was out. He was delusional. He should’ve known that that small disagreement was bound to grow. Bound to turn into something that neither of them could control. And look at them now. Just being alone with Steve had him scouting his exit. What a mess.

    “Just ran out of coffee. In fact, I was just about to head back down there…” Maybe Steve wanted to make small talk but Tony had a feeling this wasn’t going to end well. Something was going to happen, tensions were going to rise and, well, he wasn’t equipped to deal with that just yet. He started for the elevator, the cup of coffee a comforting warmth in his hand. 

    “Hold on, Tony. I need to talk to you about something.” (Star Spangled Man With A Plan indeed)

_ Great.  _ Tony inwardly flinched, turning around to fully face Steve (He couldn’t even turn his back on the damn guy anymore). “What is it?” he asked, trying his best not to sound confrontational. 

    Steve narrowed his eyes at Tony, trying to pinpoint any bit of disrespect in his tone. “Wanda told me you stole her suit,” he claimed, still staring at him. “Did you?” he inquired, raising his eyebrows in question. 

    Tony shook his head at him, just barely refraining from rolling his eyes in disdain. God, he really didn’t want to deal with this right now. “I borrowed it. She’s been bugging me for the past week, complaining about how her old suit was outdated and falling apart so I-”

    “So you stole her suit?” Steve interjected, his gaze hardening. “You can’t just do that, Tony. That suit is her property and you can’t just take it from her whenever you see fit.”

    Tony scoffed, placing a hand on his hip. “Oh come on! It’s not like I took her suit just for the hell of it! I’m upgrading it for her, Steve, so she’ll finally get off my back.”

    “That’s not the point,” Steve deflected, his tone cool as ice. “You shouldn’t have taken it without asking.” A pause. “She wants an apology.”

    “Seriously? Oh my God, you have to be joking!” Tony spluttered, eyes growing wide. He could not have actually said that. But when he looked back at Steve there was nothing that told him that he was lying or playing an incredibly stupid joke on him. “I took her suit so I could make it better for her. So I could improve it. I shouldn’t need to apologize for that!” He knew his voice was rising with each passing second but this, this was ridiculous. Tony was a grown ass man and Steve was treating him like a child. 

    “You stole from her, Tony,” he insisted, tensing at his raised voice. “You need to take accountability for it and I thought you were all about accountability these days.”

    Oh, that was it. Tony was ready to snap. He felt the mug of coffee slip out of his hands, shattering on the kitchen floor with a loud crash that nearly made him jump. Hot coffee spilt all over the ground and Tony was standing right in the splash zone, his feet immediately getting soaked. He knew they should be burning right now but he wasn’t feeling any pain. “I was trying to do a good thing, Rogers, a good thing,” he hissed, taking a step towards him. 

    Steve sneered at Tony, his deep blue eyes brimming with an intense spark of hatred. “God, you can’t even take responsibility for this one tiny thing, can you? You know, Stark, you are just like your father,” he spat, crossing his arms across his chest in a familiar gesture. His mouth opened once again, most likely to spew more insults at him, but Tony couldn’t hear anything apart from the sound of blood rushing to his head, an overwhelming roar that threatened to knock the man to his knees.  _ You’re just like your father.  _ That one sentence destroyed him, ruining any bit of self control that he had left. He felt himself crumble, his mind trying desperately to repair, patch up the network of cracks that ran like spider webs along the boundary that barely kept him from losing it with each passing day. They both knew it was a lost cause.

   Tony felt himself shut down, his expression turning blank, emotionless. Unfeeling, he turned his dead gaze back towards Steve, still unable to hear whatever the super-soldier was saying to him now, with that cruel grimace etched upon his features. “Sorry, Rogers,” Tony began, forcing himself to sound careless, sound like the man all the other Avengers expected him to be. The vain, self centered billionaire who couldn’t bother himself to worry about anyone other than himself. “But I’m afraid I have to get back to work. As much as I’ve enjoyed our little chat, I’ve got so much to do…” he rambled, backing up out of the kitchen and towards the elevators, not wanting to turn his back on Steve. It had been a little over two months since the Avengers and Captain America had waltzed back into his life and yet Tony was still unable to turn his back on the man, was hardly able to be in a room alone with him. As it turned out, apparently, that instinct had not been a bad one, seeing how things ended up when the two of them were left alone with each other. (Granted this was the first time but Tony was willing to bet that this would the last- at least if he had anything to say about it.)

   “Excuse me?”

   Too loud. The outraged protest Steve directed at him was too loud. Unbearably loud. Tony nearly cringed, hardly being able to hold together his cold, distant façade. “Did you not understand me, Capsicle? I said I’ve got work to do. Or is that word missing from your vocabulary? I wouldn’t be surprised if it was…” He kept creeping back towards the bank of elevators lining the wall of the corridor.

   Steve growled (Like the animal he truly was), stalking over to him and looking as if he wanted to punch a hole in the wall. Tony wouldn’t be surprised if he did, just to spite him. Who else was going to pay for the damages? Certainly, not Steve, despite Captain America’s righteous reputation. “This conversation is not finished, Stark,” he countered, the fingers of his right-hand twitching as if they were yearning to feel the cool metal of the iconic shield beneath their tips. Too bad Tony was currently in the process of upgrading the shield, originally a peace-making gift but now it was more of a burden.

   “Too bad Rogers. Unlike you some of us actually have to get things done,” he quipped, reaching to press the down button of the elevator closest to him. “And I would hardly call this a conversation,” Tony added, feeling an overwhelming sense of relief when the steel doors opened revealing the dull, bland chamber inside.

   “Stark!”

   “Rogers!” he mocked, feeling himself slowly lose his grip on reality. If he kept pushing the Captain things were bound to get physical and while Tony was itching for a fight, he knew it wouldn’t end well for him. Steve had certainly proved that to him in Siberia. “Let. Me. Work,” he hissed through gritted teeth. His hand clenched the edge of the elevator door, the whites of his knuckles visible in a startling way.  

   Steve didn’t deign him a response, but instead glared at him, his eyes revealing as much as any of his words would have.

   Tony stared at the super-soldier, allowing himself to feel wistful for a few seconds. He took in Steve’s defensive pose, his crossed arms, tense legs and flickering gaze, wondering what the hell happened to them. They had been friends once, hadn’t they? Looking at their latest encounter and the weeks of careful avoiding that led up to it, it didn’t seem that way. But it wasn’t unexpected, wasn’t surprising… Tony knew that, in the end, him and Steve Rogers would not be a good combination. They were explosive, volatile, a bomb that could go off at any second. And it looked as if those final seconds were finally ticking down.

   After what felt like an eternity, he ripped his gaze away from his former friend and stepped fully inside the elevator. It was only when the doors finally closed that he collapsed, back against the wall, his legs unable to carry his heavy burden of a body anymore. Shaking uncontrollably, Tony punched the number that corresponded to his workshop’s floor needing to get back down there, needing to return to his safe place. Needing to drown himself in numbers and equations and robotics until he forgot all about that damning insult Steve had so carelessly thrown his way. He sat on the elevator floor, eyes wide and unblinking waiting for the stupid machine to take him back down to his workshop- the place he never should’ve left. At least there he belonged.

   After what felt like an eternity, the doors slid open revealing the familiar, empty corridor. And it was quiet- so goddamn quiet compared to the screaming and the shouting and the complaining Tony had to endure upstairs in the common area. He let loose a heavy sigh, shoulders slumping forward in tired defeat. God, he was exhausted.

_ You’re just like your father. _

   Tony grimaced, forcing himself to rise to his feet. He wished he could just cower in the elevator for the rest of his useless mistake of a life. His steps seemed so slow, so weighed down as he began to walk towards his haven.

_ You’re just like your father. _

   Tony could practically see Steve’s piercing, hatred filled gaze as he spat those words at him. The complete satisfaction that settled upon his features once he released that boundary-crumbling insult into the tense air. He ran a hand along the cool, smooth wall, a fraction of it to steady his shaking limbs but for the most part the action was merely to remind himself of something  _ real.  _ That was something Tony seemed to be lacking from his life these days.

_ You’re just like your father. _

__ He knew those words shouldn’t hurt nearly as much as they did. That insult had felt like a shard of glass piercing through his heart or, better yet, like when the virtuous Captain America destroyed his Arc Reactor with the shield Howard had made for him all those years ago. Again, and again and again as the remark continued to ring through Tony’s shattered mind.

_ You’re just like you’re father. _

   He rapidly shook his head, attempting to clear his head of that goddamned phrase.  Tony threw himself towards the entrance of his workshop, stumbling slightly as his legs decided to give up on him. Clumsily, he put in his passcode, the familiar, rhymical tapping slowly calming the too-fast beating of his overworked heart. The door slid open easily and F.R.I.D.A.Y immediately greeted him with a friendly, “Welcome back, Boss.”

   This time the harsh insult was no louder than a whisper.

   “Glad to be back F.R.I.D.A.Y,” Tony responded, voice quiet and small yet not breaking. The entry-way glided shut behind him, his A.I knowing him well enough by now to lock the door behind him. He walked over to his main worktable, feeling much more confident now that he was back in his own element. “Could you pull up the plans for Parker’s new suit? I’m starting to feel a bit guilty for putting it off for so long…” He didn’t bother to acknowledge the reason behind why he had been unable to upgrade Spider-boy’s suit like he had promised. (Two words: The Avengers).

   “Of course, Mr. Stark. Where would you like me to store the plans for Captain Rogers new shield?” F.R.I.D.A.Y inquired, a slightly bitter drop tinging her usually peppy accent.

   Tony took a minute to consider his response before hesitantly saying, “In the Junk File with the rest of my  _ other _ projects.” In other words, the projects that had no hope of being finished within the next decade. But, hey, Steve was a super-soldier, he had time.

   “Right away, sir.”

   “Thanks F.R.I.D.A.Y.” He turned his attention to the detailed outline of Peter’s current suit, eyeing the parts he marked as desperately needing to be upgraded. Tony felt his mind settle, perfectly content with burying himself in the creation of things rather than the destruction. The cracks had not yet been repaired, but he knew work could easily fix that, patching up the gaping holes his argument with Steve had left. Although with that final insult still ringing in his ear, Tony wasn’t too sure how long that would take. So, he continued to work.

   And work.

   And work.

   Until he wasn’t sure how long it had been since that godforsaken argument. Since he had left the workshop. Well, at least he was being productive.

   Tony had just finished the final draft of Parker’s new suit and purchasing the needed materials (Who knew titanium-lined ballistic nylon would be so expensive? Quite the rip-off if you asked him) when there was a knock on the glass windows lining the outside of his workshop. He glanced towards them, startled, relieved to find that F.R.I.D.A.Y had darkened those windows without him having to give her the order to. He had been so pleased to reach his shop that he had forgotten to ask the A.I to do that (As had become typical when Tony locked himself down there). He was about to ask her who was attempting to bother him when he was working when suddenly a familiar voice called out to him.

   “Tony! Open up, man! It’s Rhodey!”

   He frowned, glancing at the darkened windows. He wasn’t really bothered by the fact that  _ Rhodey  _ was interrupting his work but he didn’t truly want to be bothered by  _ anyone  _ right now. All Tony wanted was to finish preparations for Peter’s suit and spend time with his bots. Maybe forever, he wasn’t too sure yet.

   “Tony? Please let me in!”

   But, then again, it was Rhodey. This was the man who had been there for to Tony since their days at M.I.T, who had stayed by his side when the majority of the Avengers had fled. He owed his life, and much more, to Rhodey. Shouldn’t he, at the very least, let his best friend in?

   “F.R.I.D.A.Y, open the door,” Tony ordered hesitantly, glancing regretfully at the newly finished design of Peter’s suit. Quickly, he moved the detailed image to one of his private folders before busying himself with scolding DUM-E (Who had, once again, attempted to wash the floor with coffee). He had a feeling Rhodey wouldn’t be too pleased if he found Tony consumed in another project. He didn’t look up even when he heard the thud of his friend’s footsteps behind him.

   “I’ve been looking for you for ages, man,” Rhodey greeted, planting a hand on Tony’s shoulders. “You okay?”

   He turned around, raising his eyebrows at his friend. “Since when am I not okay?” he responded, crossing his arms across his chest.

_ You’re just like your father. _

__ Tony nearly cringed as the words flitted back through his mind.  _ Damn it.  _ Apparently, those hours of work didn’t solve anything. A pity, really.

   “Tony?” Rhodey looked slightly panicked, eyes wide and coated in a worried glint. “Hey, come on. Are you sure you’re okay?”

   He clamped down on his lower lip, biting down hard enough to break the tissue there. Hard enough to draw blood. “I’m sure, Rhodey,” Tony confirmed, turning just enough so that his friend would no longer be able to see his face. Or the pain that dwelled upon it.

   “’Cause, I mean, I heard about the fight you and Cap had,” he continued, hand tightening on Tony’s shoulder.

   “I said I’m fine Rhodey,” Tony assured through gritted teeth. “I don’t need you to check up on me, for god’s sake I’m a grown adult, I don’t need a babysitter.”

   His friend’s eyes darkened ever so slightly. “I know you don’t Tony but sometimes you terrify the hell out of me,” Rhodey confessed, running a hand through his shortly cropped hair. At the same time, his other hand released Tony’s arm, coming to rest, once again, at his side. “Like today for example.”

   He couldn’t help himself- Tony glanced back up at Rhodey, guiltily taking in the fear and pain that aged his features, lingered in his brown eyes. “What do you mean?” he questioned, his voice sounding unusually frail.

_ You’re just like your father. _

    Wasn’t he? Wasn’t it just like his dear old dad to disappear when his loved ones needed him- when  _ Tony  _ needed him most. How had attempting to hide from his greatest fear somehow  _ turned  _ him into his greatest fear? That was just like his crap luck, he supposed.

   Suddenly Rhodey’s hand was back on Tony’s shoulder, gripping tightly. “Ever since Rogers and his team of misfits barged their way back into your life, you’ve been working yourself to death. And that’s even without you shutting down,” he said, voice quiet, subdued. “You’re trying so hard to accommodate them, trying so hard to make things  _ right  _ when clearly it isn’t working anymore. It’s like watching a kid trying to force a puzzle piece in a place where it doesn’t belong. It’s just not going to happen Tones.”

   He could feel his lips turn down ever so slightly into a fragile frown. “Are you saying I don’t belong with the Avengers anymore, Rhodey?” And, oh God, he knew his voice was barely louder than a whisper but it sounded so loud in his head, in the comforting silence of his workshop. The question rang out, swallowing every other quiet noise being emitted in the room. All except for the one remark that was once again tearing through his head.

_ You’re just like you’re father. _

__ “I’m not saying that Tony,” Rhodey continued, desperation heavily laced through the smooth, baritone of his voice. “All I’m trying to tell is that you’ve outgrown them. You don’t  _ need  _ the Avengers anymore.”

   Tony glanced up at him, fully meeting his friend’s worried brown eyes for the first time. “I can’t just leave, Rhodey,” he replied, voice cracking ever so slightly.

   That was all it took for Rhodey to wrap the invincible Iron Man into a solid embrace. “I know, man,” he consoled, running a steady hand down Tony’s back in a comforting gesture. One that his mother had used when his nightly terrors had sent him crawling into her bed in the middle of the night. “But, hey. You’re the most intelligent guy I know and you’ve got me, Pepper and Happy at your back. I have a feeling you’re going to be just fine.”

   “But what if I’m not?” This was the question that had been plaguing Tony for months. Ever since he had been left cold and alone in Siberia. “What if I’ll never be fine again?”

   Rhodey’s hand stopped moving for a long, heart stopping moment. But then the rubbing continued and the man began speaking again. “Then we’ll still be there. We won’t leave you Tony.”

    And, for a moment, he felt as if everything was going to be alright.


End file.
